1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains approximately to sanitary handlers for pet droppings and more particularly to removing utensils for deposited solid waste.
2. Related Art
It is commonplace to have a small animal as a pet and in particular, a dog. It is also commonplace to have the dog relieve her/himself by taking the dog for a walk, letting the dog roam in a yard or letting the dog roam in a dog run. After the dog relieves her/himself, it is good practice and/or required by law that solid waste deposited by the dog be removed. The waste is unsightly, can smell and be a breading ground for insects and bacteria.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,562,318 to McBroom is entitled “Animal Waste Collector” and known in the art. This patent teaches a broom style instrument having an elongated handle. At the base of the elongated handle there is a row of perpendicularly extending rods that form a holding surface. The distal sections of these rods are obliquely angled upward so as to form a collecting surface (as explained below, the collector is tilted forward to pick-up waste.) At the marginal edges of the holding surface, there are a pair of side rods that function as sidewalls and these side rods do not extend over the collecting surface. To use the collector, the handle is tilted so that the obliquely angled collecting surface is parallel to the ground, the collector is positioned at about the waste, it is somehow manipulated under the waste and then the handle is oriented perpendicular to the ground. With the handle perpendicular to the ground, the collecting surface and pair of sidewall rods retain the waste on the holding surface.
This collector has the disadvantage of being an instrument with an elongated handle whereby force is delivered to the collecting surface by a swinging or “back hoeing” motion of the elongated handle. This delivery of force does not provide leverage to penetrate a resistive medium such a grass and/or results in crude motions without much control. The collector is further disadvantaged by lacking a capability to reduce resistance in penetrating a resistive medium. This collector has the additional disadvantage of lacking any capability to direct or funnel waste onto the collecting surface. The collector is further disadvantaged by a lack of a lighting capability to find waste when used at night.
Known in the art is U.S. Pat. No. 5,741,036 to Ring and entitled “Pet Waste Scoop Assembly.” This patent teaches a handheld shovel that is used in connection with a conformed fitting bag to remove waste. The shovel is comprised of a plurality of spaced apart inverted “V” shape fingers that constitute a removing surface. There is a handle that extends retrolinear to the removing surface and is positioned superior to the removing surface. The shovel has the disadvantage of bulky “V” shape fingers that have resistant and drag in passing through grass. The shovel is disadvantaged by force being delivered from a position superior to the removing surface. The shovel is further disadvantage by no capability to direct waste onto the removing surface. The shovel has the disadvantage of lacking a lighting capability to find waste when used at night.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,869,118 to Bradford is entitled “Illuminated Implement Apparatus” and this patent teaches a handheld shovel having two sources of illumination at its marginal edges. In particular, there is a shovel. At the shovel's marginal edges, and superior thereto, there are a pair of tubular supports that run along the marginal edges. At the proximal ends of this pair of tubular supports are lamps. At the dorsal ends of this pair of tubular supports is a transverse tube. At an intermediate position along this transverse tube is a tube that extends retrolinear in the plane of the pair of tubular supports; i.e., superior to the shovel surface. This tube functions as a handle, battery case and switch case.
This apparatus has the disadvantage of projecting a beam of light from a position just superior to the shovel surface in a plane parallel to the surface and not affording top-down lighting. The apparatus has the additional disadvantage of requiring two lights. The apparatus is further disadvantaged by delivery of force from a position superior to the shovel surface.
There exists a need for a utensil for removing solid waste deposited by a dog that does not have a long handle, is strong enough to pass through grass, is as to be able to pick up the solid waste in grass and ameliorates the awkwardness of reaching into the grass.
There exists a need for a utensil for removing solid waste deposited by a dog for use during the darkness of night that provides lighting and ameliorates the awkwardness of holding a flashlight along with the utensil.
There exists a need for a utensil for removing solid waste deposited by a dog that ameliorates the awkwardness of the solid waste sliding away as removal is attempted.
There exists a need for a utensil for removing solid waste deposited by a dog that eliminates the usage of plastic bags and the indirect contacting through a plastic bag of the warm and pliable waste.
There exists a need for a utensil for removing solid waste deposited by a dog that provides for the disposal of that waste in a toilet or commode.
There exists a need for a utensil for removing solid waste deposited by a dog that is easily cleaned and dried.
There exists a need for a utensil for removing solid waste deposited by a dog that is ergonomical.
There exists a need for a utensil for removing solid waste deposited by a dog that is economical to manufacture.
The present invention satisfies these needs, as well as others, and approximately overcomes the presently known deficiencies in the art.